A funeral can very often serve as a celebration of someone’s life. When planning a loved one’s service, you may want to ensure it reflects their uniqueness by including details that represent who they were and what they loved.
Jump ahead to these sections:
One way you can do so is to play some of their favorite music during the service. For example, you could play their favorite song over a funeral slideshow, play songs from their favorite artist throughout a non-traditional celebration of life memorial event, or play a song they loved at the end of their funeral.
Maybe you’re planning a funeral for a Rascal Flatts fan. If so, this list of Rascal Flatts funeral songs will help you decide which specific tracks to play. Whether you want to play something uplifting, sorrowful, or both, you’ll likely find plenty of inspiration here.
Uplifting Rascal Flatts Songs for a Funeral
Although we often think of funerals as sad occasions, a funeral can be uplifting and celebratory. The right music can help. Examples of joyful Rascal Flatts funeral songs include the selections below.
1. “My Wish” from Me and My Gang
Most of the songs suggested here are those someone might choose when planning a loved one’s funeral. However, sometimes people get a chance to plan their own funerals. As such, they may request that certain songs be played.
For example, maybe a parent knows they’re going to pass away soon. They might ask that their funeral include this song if so. “My Wish” is a touching song about the hopes and dreams a parent has for their child. At a funeral, it could serve as a reminder that, while a parent may have passed on, they want their children to live happy lives without them.
2. “Life is a Highway” from Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts’ cover of “Life is a Highway” may seem like an unusual choice to play at a funeral. However, like “My Wish,” it could remind mourners that those who’ve passed on want nothing more than for them to honor their life by making the most of their own lives.
Some of the lyrics can also be interpreted as descriptions of moving on to a happy afterlife after dying. Consider these words: “There's a world outside every darkened door, where blues won't haunt you anymore, where the brave are free and lovers soar, come ride with me to the distant shore.”
The world these lyrics describe, where sadness doesn’t exist, may sound like Heaven to some. In literature and music, many have also described the afterlife as a distant shore. Thus, this song may also offer hope to mourners by suggesting that a lost loved one isn’t truly lost at all; they’re just somewhere else right now.
3. “I Won’t Let Go” from Nothing Like This
Those mourning a loss often take comfort in knowing that there are people in their lives who understand what they’re going through. Having that kind of support is vital during such painful times.
“I Won’t Let Go” is a song about offering that support. It tells the listener that, even in times of deep sorrow, they can turn to loved ones to help them cope. In fact, those loved ones are often particularly able to offer the help they need because they may be going through the same painful experience.
4. “Stand” from Me and My Gang
“Stand” is another Rascal Flatts funeral song that doesn’t necessarily address death directly, but does address how there are times in life when sorrow can be so great that moving forward feels impossible. The aftermath of a loved one’s passing may be such a time.
The song is hopeful, though. Its lyrics suggest that these painful times in our lives can serve as reminders that life is short, and we can choose to make the best of it instead of letting sadness overwhelm us.
5. “Ellsworth” from Me and My Gang
Some might argue that “Ellsworth” isn’t an example of an uplifting Rascal Flatts funeral song, as it describes a beloved grandmother’s deteriorating memory.
That said, the song’s main focus is the way her memory is as clear as ever when discussing joyful memories of her husband who passed on. As such, someone might play this at a grandmother’s funeral to suggest that she’s now returning to the person she loved so much.
6. “Fast Cars and Freedom” from Feels Like Today
“Fast Cars and Freedom” is a sweet track with lyrics describing the simplicity and joy of young love, and how that feeling can remain with a person for years if they’ve found the right romantic partner. It’s not a song about death, but it could nevertheless serve as an uplifting Rascal Flatts funeral song, as it highlights happy memories instead of dwelling on painful experiences.
7. “Mayberry” from Melt
“Mayberry” features lyrics comparing the fast pace and stress of modern life with the ease and peace of life in an old town where Sunday is still a day of rest instead of “another day for progress.”
With such lyrics as “Now I can't fly, but I got two feet that get me high up here. Above the noise and city streets my worries disappear,” someone religious might hear this song and imagine a lost loved one escaping life’s struggles and flying up to Heaven.
Sorrowful Rascal Flatts Songs for a Funeral
Although there are plenty of reasons to consider playing uplifting Rascal Flatts funeral songs during a loved one’s service, there’s also value in choosing songs that allow you and other mourners to be open about your difficult emotions during this painful time. When people mourn together instead of hiding their feelings, they remember they’re not the only ones struggling.
Would you prefer playing sorrowful Rascal Flatts funeral songs instead of joyful tracks? Keep the following examples in mind if so.
8. “While You Loved Me” from Rascal Flatts
This song describes looking back on happy days with a former lover, and the sadness that comes from knowing they won’t return. It may technically be a breakup song, but its lyrics can also apply to a person’s feelings after a lover’s death.
However, like some of the best funeral songs, “While You Loved Me” strikes a balance in the emotions it conveys. It may be quite sad, but it also describes how pleasant memories can still bring a person joy, even if that joy is now mixed with sadness as well.
9. “Let it Hurt” from Changed
“Let it Hurt” describes someone waking up for their daily routine and putting on a brave face for the world despite secretly hiding pain and sorrow. After a loved one passes, many people experience similar feelings, believing they have to pretend to move on instead of expressing what they’re actually going through.
While the song is definitely sad, it also offers advice that mourners may need to hear at a critical time. The lyrics explain that the best way to overcome some forms of pain is to just allow ourselves to experience them. Someone attending a loved one’s funeral may benefit from a reminder that in the weeks to come, they may feel the need to hide their emotions, but perhaps they’d be better off in the long run being honest with both themself and others.
10. “Why” from Unstoppable
The lyrics of “Why” describe the confusion and sorrow someone feels when returning to their hometown for the funeral of an old friend who took their own life. Because it addresses the topic of suicide very directly, this song might not be an appropriate choice for a relatively large funeral where the lyrics could upset some mourners too greatly.
However, if you’re planning a small memorial service with only a few family members and friends, and you’re very confident they wouldn’t object to hearing this song, you might consider playing it. When a loved one takes their own life, sometimes those mourning them benefit from openly addressing their confusion and pain instead of trying to pretend they’re not experiencing such feelings.
11. “What Hurts the Most” from Rascal Flatts
“What Hurts the Most” is another song that is likely about a breakup. However, because it explores the feelings of loneliness someone loved is no longer part of life, it can also work perfectly well as a sad country funeral song.
Rascal Flatts Funeral Songs to Offer Comfort and Peace
Whether they’re funeral songs for a dad, mom, or any other important person in your life, the best choices tend to be those they loved when they were alive. These are just some noteworthy options to keep in mind if you ever plan a funeral for a Rascal Flatts fan.